At present, it is common for patients in hospitals to be given a spirometer, such as the incentive spirometer after surgery. An incentive spirometer is a medical device used to help patients improve the functioning of their lungs. It is provided to patients whom have had surgery that might jeopardize respiratory function, particularly surgery to the lungs themselves, but also commonly to patients recovering from cardiac or other surgery involving extended time under anaesthesia and prolonged in-bed recovery. The incentive spirometer is also issued to patients recovering from pneumonia or rib damage to help minimize the chance of fluid build-up in the lungs. It can be used as well in non-medical applications, such as by wind instrument players, who want to improve their air flow.
The patient breathes in from the device as slowly and as deeply as possible, and then holds their breath for 2-6 seconds. This provides inspiratory pressure which opens the alveoli. An indicator of how much inspiratory volume is occurring and assists in quantifying the effort of the patient and their ability to breathe deeply. The patient is generally asked to do many repetitions every hour while awake while measuring their progress by way of the gauge.
When the spirometer is not in use it is simply placed on a table, bed, or other surface. A problem exists, because spirometers do not have covers for the mouth piece portion that is inserted into patient's mouths. Also, patient's visitors, nurses, doctors, and other health care providers are also vectors for transmitting viral or bacterial infection onto the mouthpiece. Thus, virus and bacteria may soil the mouth piece by people (including the user) touching the mouth piece portion or by dropping the spirometer on the floor. Further, when patients change rooms, their belongings are often placed in a bag that is put on the bed as the bed is moved. Once again the mouth piece portion may be in contact with undesirable and unclean items and surfaces. Yet another way the mouth piece may become dirty or infected, is people in the room coughing and sneezing. When hospitalized patients obtain a secondary infection, or a super infection, it prolongs their hospital stay, hospital cost, and increase the duration of overall healthcare treatment.
As such, there is a need for an approach to protect the mouth piece of an incentive spirometer when it is not in a patient's mouth. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.